Do you root for the big east or against it?

[H2Oya 05]

I understand that everyone here hates Syracuse, nova, uconn, west virginia, pittsburgh and everyone else in the big east. They are our in conference rivals and it is always fun to beat them.
Some people on this board think you should root against them all the time, from out of conference games at the beginning of the year through the NCAA tournament.
It seems to me that it is in Georgetown's interest to have a stronger big east. I'd rather see Syracuse beat Bucknell at the beginning of the year, or Marquette and Seton Hall make it past the first round of the Tournament. I think it ultimately helps Georgetown.
If more big east teams do well, it should increase the national exposure of all the teams and it should help Georgetown's chances of getting an NCAA bid during an off year.
For these reasons, I say Go UConn, Nova, and West Virginia this thursday and friday. I'd love to hear what others think because it seems most threads are bashing anyone who says they'd love to see a Georgetown Nova elite 8 matchup, a Georgetown UConn final four, and then a Georgetown West Virginia national championship game.
I'd rather we beat teams in the Big East than have teams in another conference beat them.
GO HOYAS!!!

[the_way]

I root for everybody in the Big East when they are playing except UCONN. I hate UCONN and their coach.

[BigMike]

Always root for the Big East.

Next year if we have a similar record to Seton Hall/Cincy - the better the conference does the more likely we would get in.

[Elvado]

As set forth in an earlier thread. I root against each and every one of them whenever possible. When they play each other, I want them to suck (injuries are a bonus) and have the game fall out in whichever direction helps the Hoyas. The only exceptions to this rule are rooting for everyone against Nova, and everyone but Nova against Shrimpacuse.

[Filo]

I generally root against the traditional rivals -- Nova, SJU, Providence, 'Cuse, Pitt, You Con. I may someday do the same against the newer rivals (Marquette, Louisville. Cincy, USF), but right now I just don't have that same level of hate (I actually like Marquette when they are not playing GU). I have always hated ND.

I definitely understand the point about rooting for other BE teams to do well (especially given the state of the program up until recently), but I want the program strong enough that we don't need for them to do well.

The other wildcard that has been brought up is rooting for BE teams so that the conference can remain strong and the basketball conference can survive if the football schools leave. May be a valid point, but I still cannot bring myself to root for Pitt, You Con, SJU and 'Cuse.

[H2Oya 05]

Elvado or Filo, so you'd rather the Big East resemble the WCC where there is one good team Georgetown and the rest of the Big East is made up of low major quality opponents. Sounds good for Georgetown, a conference where
1. any loss kills your rpi
2. there is no national media attention
3. the common bond of a basketball first conference is gone

[Madgesdiq]

Order of hate:

Level 1: Cannot root for against anyone, and I secretly hope for a giant sinkhole to devour the arena when they meet head to head.

1. Syracuse
2. UCONN


Level 2: Can root for against Duke and BC.

3. Pitt
4. Cincy (would have been level 1 if Huggins was still there)
5. Villanova
6. Rutgers
7. Louisville
8. West Virginia

Level 3. Can root for against most other out of conference teams.

9. Notre Dame
10. Marquette
11. DePaul
12. Seton Hall
13. Providence
14. St. John's


Total Zen-like Indifference

15. South Florida

[Filo]

No, I like the BE the way it is. I love the rivalries.

The fact that I root against these teams has no bearing on their performance and does not mean that I want to program to disappear (I know I am not speaking for Vadie here!). I want them to lose, but that doesn't mean it will happen. I don't see any of these programs disappearing any time soon.

[H2Oya 05]

Isn't it more fun to beat a rival in a good year than a bad year though? If you are a yankees fan, isn't it more satisfying to beat the redsocks in the ALCS than in spring training? Don't you think it was more satisfying for Nova to beat us in the National Championship?

[hoyanick]

Never ever root for Syracuse.

I do, however, root for Big East teams in the Tourney that aren't playing the Hoyas. Makes us look better.

[prhoya]

For it... Look how pathetic the Big 10 looks after going 0 for 6 after the first weekend. It is going to affect it next year when the "experts" are discussing whether to include 4, 5 or 6 Big 10 teams in the tournament. The mention of this year's debacle is inevitable.

Also, wouldn't you like to kick Nova's butt in the Final 8? Although, now that I think about it, knocking off BC would be classic.

[McBricks]

I grudgingly root for other Big East teams. But I'm not sure I like myself when I do. I know it's somehow better for Georgetown when the league does well, but it's really hard not to smile when ND loses in double overtime. AGAIN.

[aleutianhoya]

It's indisputably good for us financially when the Conference does well. Since finances are such an obstacle at GU, this seems to be a good reason to hope the league does well.

[NCHoya]

I cheer on every Big East when playing out of conference. I want the league to be the best in the country so we can get two #1 seeds in the NCAAs every year and of those 2 spots, the Hoyas would naturally have one. I cannot see wanting a Big 10 or ACC or any team beat a BE team, that would hurt our own cause - we would lose RPI strength, be looked upon as beating lesser foes and get less money from the NCAAs.

It makes no sense to carry the hatred of our rivals outside the conference. Besides, I know the players and coaches of these teams so well, it seems weird to cheer some strangers on to beat them.

[theEDGEfactor]

i root for the BE for the most part but really dont care what they do---US is all that matters

[Filo]

nchoya said:

I cheer on every Big East when playing out of conference. I want the league to be the best in the country so we can get two #1 seeds in the NCAAs every year and of those 2 spots, the Hoyas would naturally have one. I cannot see wanting a Big 10 or ACC or any team beat a BE team, that would hurt our own cause - we would lose RPI strength, be looked upon as beating lesser foes and get less money from the NCAAs.

It makes no sense to carry the hatred of our rivals outside the conference. Besides, I know the players and coaches of these teams so well, it seems weird to cheer some strangers on to beat them.

Don't most Red Sox fans detest the Yankees to so much that they want them to lose no matter who they play?

And I know the situations are different b/c we potentially benefit more when other BE teams win, but who said logic or sense had to play a part? Do Duke fans root for UNC to win, or UNC fans root for Duke to win just for the good of the ACC? It's primal!!!

This is all good-natured stuff anyway -- fans can root for whomever they want, as far as I am concerned. I don't think there are any rules that need to be applied.

[FrazierFanatic]

I detest whomever we are playing against, which makes it very hard to root for them against other teams, unless it directly benefits the Hoyas in some significant way such as Big East standings or BET seeding. Oh, and i would root against the Orangeboys were they playing the spawn of satan.

[aggypryd]

Totally depends on who the other squads are playing and if it will benefit the Hoyas or another team I like...

[hoyarooter]

I root for other Big East teams (except Syracuse), except when they play UCLA. There might be occasional times I would root for Syracuse, but they are infrequent.

[RockawayHoya]

hoyanick said:

Never ever root for Syracuse.

I do, however, root for Big East teams in the Tourney that aren't playing the Hoyas. Makes us look better.

I agree with this post. I can put aside the hatred that goes with every other team during the NCAAs. But Syracuse never EVER gets a free pass.